Vietnam War and 20th Century Experience
Vietnam War and 20th Century Experience
I consider myself as a strategic thinker. I determine my immediate actions on the basis of the nature of goals that I want to realize. As a result, goal setting is extremely essential to me. Goal setting provides the opportunity of determining the various things that I would like to achieve. All my goals have a time factor. This is move geared towards ensuring that I formulate proper mechanisms that will facilitate the appraising of my performance with regards to the realization of the set goals. I ensure the measurability of all the goals that I set because when goals are measurable, it is highly likely that an individual will be able to determine their degree of progress more successfully than when they are not measurable. Additionally, I am keen to ensure that all my goals are specific, which will enable me to remain conscious of my primary objectives as well as make the most appropriate decision on the basis of the goals that I am pursuing. I am also ardent at ensuring that all my goals are achievable because when the goals are not realistic they only qualify as loose imaginations. It is imperative to determine the nature of attributes that are likely to influence the ability of an individual to attain her or his goals. After the determination of such factors, it is imperative for one to look for ways eliminate or minimize them. Such a move will enhance the chances that an individual will realize the desired objectives.
My orientation as a strategic thinker has positive implications during cooperative work in mission driven organizations like the armed forces. My orientation facilitates my contribution to the team success. I am extremely proficient in strategic planning thus my skills normally come in handy at the control centres or the situation rooms. This is mainly because long term strategies as well as short term plans are usually formulated in these venues. They are usually formulated by military professionals who are proficient in strategic planning. The natures of the plans that are formulated during strategic planning facilitate the standards of the military, thereby, positively influencing the effectiveness of the armed forces. The formulation of strategic plans for the armed forces necessitates the collective effort of various professionals. This form of effort facilitates the formulation of strategic plans that are perceived as robust.
President Johnson is an individual who greatly influenced the Vietnamese war. He spearheaded the development of a clear strategy for this war. This strategy was formulated in consultation with various parties, both in and outside of the government of the United States. After the development of the strategy, President Johnson relied on the military for the implementation of the strategy. This forms my belief about several key factors that I need from the other members of the team in order to accomplish a task successfully. I require that all my teammates should be professionals. This implies that they should be proficient at executing the roles that they are required to perform.
Proficiency facilitates the fruition of goals within a comparatively high degree of success and efficiency. I also require my teammates to exhibit dedication during the execution of their duties. Dedication is essential in ensuring the realization of objectives within the intended duration and enhances the completion of tasks, despite the various challenges which might be experienced in the process. In addition, I also require my teammates to display are relatively high degree of integrity. There are certain tasks that need to be carried out by individuals who are capable of maintaining high levels of integrity. In the event that such tasks are carried out by persons who cannot uphold the required levels of integrity, the intended mission is extremely likely to fail.
Military Lessons Learned from the Course Essential in the Achievement of the Desired Objectives
President Johnson had planned the involvement of the United States in this specific war. He wanted the war to be limited to the southern region of Vietnam. He was also clear about the role of the United States in this war. It role did not entail winning the war, but fighting South Vietnamese forces. These two goals were achieved through the proficiency of the United States military. As a result, I have learnt that proficiency is extremely important. The effectiveness of any military unit largely depends on the proficiency of all the members. This is because all the members carry out diverse roles, which complement each other in the fruition of the objectives of the unit. As a result, it is imperative for one to make sure that she or he undergoes through the recommended training. An individual who is undergoing training should develop the discipline that will facilitate her or him to follow their training program rigorously and religiously. During training, all the individuals need to train together. Training together facilitates teammates to learn the weaknesses of each other as well as work together in formulating measures to counter the major weakness that are prevailing in the unit. All units need to practice to the point that they can hardly make mistakes whenever they are required to carry out a certain task.
References
Higbee, D. (2010). Military Culture and Education. New York: Ashgate.
Robinson, P. (2008). Ethics Education in the Military. New York: Ashgate.
Watson, C. A. (2007). Military Education: A Reference Handbook. New York: Greenwood Publishing.
